The Federal Reserve’s policy dilemma deepened Thursday with new data showing a persistently sluggish pace of inflation, held down largely by lower gas prices. U.S. consumer prices fell in September, driven by the drop in gasoline prices. The consumer-price index, which measures what Americans pay for everyday goods and services, fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2% in September, the second straight month of overall price declines, the Labor Department said. The monthly pace of inflation has been steadily falling since May, when renewed weakness in gas prices took hold. Prices were unchanged over the past year, but gasoline prices have fallen 29.6% during that time, the department said. Besides cheaper gas, consumer prices have been held down by the strong dollar, which makes imports cheaper for Americans. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose a relatively firm 0.2% in the month and a moderately healthy 1.9% over the […]